


A Changed Man

by Tessaherondale87



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 2 separate timelines, Alternate Season/Series 10, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universes, Confused Dean, Dad Cas, Dean in Hell, Dreamwalking, Hell, Hell Trauma, Hurt Dean Winchester, Kidfic, M/M, Nearly Human Castiel, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Castiel, Rating May Change, Taking Care Of Dean, Temporary Character Death, and Cas at some points, but maybe it will be at some point, everyone thinks it's gabriel but it's not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 14:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3613278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tessaherondale87/pseuds/Tessaherondale87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it is confirmed to Castiel that Dean Winchester is dead, he spends more time than he planned on grieving. He gets stuck on the heaven floor because of his depleting, stolen grace. After it is painfully ripped out, he is now human and he plans on finding some way to bring his beloved back.</p><p>Now he is on a journey, traveling through alternate universes to save Dean, but now he has his adoptive five year old son, who just so happens to be a Winchester, to worry about along the way. </p><p>But he's determined and that has to be enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 2700 years of torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to his stolen grace Castiel grieves for Dean a little longer than planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is now beta'd and looks a whole lot better and is a whole lot more clearer than before. Chapter 2 will be done soon hopefully.

**_Chapter 1_ **

 

_ Dean, _

 

_ Hannah gave me the ultimatum to either kill you and prove my loyalty to my army or let you live and lose the army and ultimately lose the war between Metatron. _

 

_ I saw the fear in your eyes. Hidden by your own need to prove your masculinity and probably the Mark of Cain as well. Your doubt in my faith towards you hurt more than my army turning their backs on me ever could. _

 

 _That is why I am writing this. Metatron killed you._ _When he told me I doubted it, even when I saw the blood on the blade he planned on killing me with as well._

 

_ But. _

_ Sam. _

 

_ His prayers are so loud and so painfully hard to hear. I cannot bear to go to him at the moment. He needs someone to be there for him. _

 

_ Someone like you, Dean. Where are you? Your brother needs you dammit. Go comfort him. But how do you comfort someone when you are the reason for their pain? Or when you are dead for that matter. _

 

 _I will go to him. I will. I will watch over him._ _But how do I tell him?_

 

_ How do I tell him that I have spent approximately ten heaven years looking for you up here - when it has only been a year on earth? Because when the Angel Tablet broke it knocked everything off balance. _

 

_ You're not in heaven. _

 

 _Which only means one thing._ _You're in hell._

 

_ Father forgive me but... _

* * *

 

"WHAT THE FUCK DO I DOOOO?....... WHAT?!..... Please. ANSWER ME! Damn it! FUUUUCCK!"

 

The angel kneeled on the ground rocking forward with his head in his hands. "Brother. What grieves you so?" Agony was clearly etched on his leader’s face for all to see.

 

The kneeling angel looked at his brother and broke. He cried, as he once cried of Dean Winchester being saved, "DEAN WINCHESTER IS DEAD!" All heard; everyone in heaven, even the dead souls in their private heavens. They also heard the angel break. He cried. For much longer than the short ten years he searched for his beloved. All of his angelic followers gathered round and offered their grace to help soothe their leader. They all knew Castiel wouldn’t be able to save Winchester from hell this time. Not with his broken grace and they also knew that Castiel knew it too. That’s why he broke for so long.

 

For two thousand and seven hundred years (twenty-seven years earth time) he cried and wept and screamed for his dear friend to come back on that poor autistic man's heaven ground.

 

He would have kept going for eternity had it not been for a particularly persistent Bobby Singer.

 

At that particular moment the angel was lying on his back on the ground looking up at the sky, he was also no longer crying. The grass underneath him was brown and dead and soggy.

 

"What have you idjits done now?"

 

The angel didn't twitch. The old hunter sat down beside him.

 

"I've given you time boy. We all have. We all heard The Cry. It's time you did something."

 

The angel turned his head. He looked just as he had when Bobby knew him when he was alive. Except for one thing.

 

His eyes.

 

'The eyes reflect the soul,.' a proverb says. Well, if that was the case, this poor soul. His eyes, once so blue and shining, were no longer blue. No more shine. They were a dull gray. So very dull. They showed no emotion, whatsoever.

 

Bobby talked. He talked to the lost soul. Trying to make him see light. He talked about his memories of the boys. All of them. Good and bad. Just trying to get a reaction out of the angel. For fifteen years Bobby Singer talked. Until he ran out of stories to tell. For he had started making the stories of the Winchester boys up a while ago.

 

One day he stopped. Just stopped talking. And he finally got results after that. The angel’s hand twitched. Curling, as if subconsciously, into a fist.

 

"Oh. I see. You want me to keep going do you? How 'bout a deal? Sit up and talk to me and I'll keep going." Though he had no idea what he would say but he would. He'd keep going. He had eternity after all. The angel’s head twitched into a trembling shake.

 

"Why not?"

 

He opened his mouth and only air rushed out. He mouthed the words:  'I can’t'

 

"Oh, dear Lord. Do not tell me you've been laying here for so long cause you couldn't move."

 

The newly gray eyed angel looked up at him pleadingly.

 

Bobby stood and grabbed under the angel’s armpits and pulled him to a halfway sitting position when he heard a terrible ripping moaning come from the man.

A thousand agonies later and a while in the infirmary (the clinic was essential for the wounded warrior angels) Castiel was released. Bobby Singer was waiting on him.

“Why were you stuck on the ground, boy?” the old man asked.

 

“While on earth I had to steal another angel’s grace so I could escape imprisonment. Since the grace was not mine it was slowly depleting. It ran out in the early years of my grief and had I not been in heaven I would have died. But since I was here, it only weakened me to the point of paralysis.” 

 

“That is real unfortunate Cas. How’d they fix it?”

 

“They ripped the remnants out. It has left me human once again.” 

 

But that was okay, because now he was healed and ready to fight for Dean. It was all he could do at this point.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to my beta Too Much Chocolate for editing this chapter.


	2. Saving Dean Winchester

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd now!

 

Cas was gone. Cas was the name Dean gave him. Cas was the man who fell for a human (figuratively and literally), Cas was the angel who gave up an entire army for one man, Cas was the person that almost beat up a man just to buy pie for his loved one to prove himself to that said human. Cas was the one who sacrificed his sanity for the sake of another’s. Cas was the one who was killed by Lucifer because he called his brother an assbutt and threw holy fire at him.

That man was gone. He died on the heaven ground along with Dean Winchester. He was Castiel now. And Castiel was a whole different ball park.

Castiel beat up the Righteous Man when he was in doubt, Castiel was the man who opened purgatory, Castiel was the angel who murdered millions "in the name of God", Castiel was the angel who killed Alfie, Castiel was the one who hid from Dean when he found the angel tablet, Castiel was the one who stayed behind in purgatory, Castiel was the one who saved Dean Winchester from Hell.

They were two entities with one intention. Save Dean Winchester.

Now that his main reason for living was gone he didn't know what to do. Except to do things the Winchester way.

Fuck shit up.

He was going to save Dean Winchester.

* * *

 

"Sam."

The tall much older man turned in his desk chair at the man sitting in front of him (for he recognized that deep voice anywhere) and saw the angel that he hadn't seen in years.

".....How!?" he gasped. He pulled the rigid angel into a tight hug.

"I won't be here long. I don't mean to intrude but...I felt you deserved an explanation for my absence."

Sam pulled back and looks into the angel’s gray blue eyes. "Y-you're not intruding buddy seriously stay as long as you need...." he paused and then said in a quieter tone, "an explanation would be nice though."

"I- I was grieving for a period of time. Thousands of years actually. I spent the rest of my borrowed grace to slow human time so I could grieve and be there for you as well. I ran out of grace, Sam, while I was grieving, and had I been on earth I would have died. But heaven’s power preserved me and I laid on that ground longer than I planned. The angels thought I was still grieving but I was stuck there. Bobby helped me. I'm human again."

It was a lot to take in. So much in fact that Sam didn't say anything until the light of day started to slowly fade.

"Well, shit. Um... wow. Uh... you're more than welcome to stay with me. One of my kids, the oldest, just left for college. We can make his room available to you. Help you start a life. Get on your feet. If you don't mind the babies, twin’s, loudness."

"That would be great Sam. It really would. But like I said, I'm not staying here long. I've been out of touch too long. I have a friend who is bringing me back to my own time."

"Your own time?"

"Right after Dean died. After we locked up Metatron."

"Cas.... I know it's hard. I miss him too and it has taken me almost thirty years but... I've made my peace with it. He's in a better place now. I think you should try and move on. Live life the best way you can. Start a family. I did. Surely if I can, you can."

And oh how Castiel wanted to tell Sam that Dean wasn't in a better place, that he was in his worst nightmare. But Samuel was right, he was over it, and Castiel knew that if he told Sam he would want to come with him. To save his brother. Thinking he would make it back to his family. But he wouldn't. Nothing goes right in this family.

"I'm glad Sam. I really am that you have achieved this. But. I would never be able to. Dean was— is my world and I won't, no, I can't live without him. Even if that existence is spent trying to save him at least I'll know that I tried my hardest, and maybe when I die I'll be at peace and I can do exactly what you have. But until then I will go and I will save Dean Winchester."

Every word he said was a lie. Except the last one. Castiel WILL save him. Even If it's the last thing he did because he wouldn’t be a peace without him.

 

  
  



	3. Matthew Dean Winchester-Novak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time loop destination #1

“Are you ready Castiel?”

“Yes.” No hesitation whatsoever.

“Okay. This may feel different as a human. Hold on.”

Castiel sensed movement around him, a blurring rush by his head. If his eyes were open surely he would have fainted. He was moving, but he was not. No, he wasn’t moving. Time was.

The rushing stopped and he slowly lifted his eye lids and sat up. He was lying on a quilted bed in an unfamiliar room. There was a night stand by the bed with a smartphone on it resting screen down. He picked it up and checked the date: January 24, 2023.

Dean’s birthday.

Walking out of the bedroom that he assumed was his (there was a trench coat hanging up on the door), there were multiple pictures of Castiel and a young boy that was six or seven years old.

Straight outside his door was a staircase, which he ignored for the moment, because he heard voices around downstairs. Walking into the kitchen, he saw a slumped over Sam on a kitchen island stool and the same boy from the picture in the bedroom he had just escaped. The boy was kneeling on a stool and was pouring cereal into a huge mixing bowl, then milk, but was barely spilling anything.

“Here Sam, this help,’’ the boy said and he turned to Castiel. He smiled sheepishly. “I can make more, Daddy, if you want it to help with your booboo.”

Castiel blinked. Daddy? Booboo?

He cleared his throat, “No thank you. I don’t know what this booboo is but I can assure you it doesn’t need help. Nor have I ever tried cereal. Now can I ask why you are making the cereal instead of Sam when he seems to be your superior?”

The boy tilted his head, much like Castiel did when confused, and glanced at Sam who had lifted his head enough to look at the bowl and stir around his Lucky Charms (he knew the name because it said it on the box the boy had sat down). The boy looked back at Castiel and whispered, “It’s because Sammy is sad about it being Uncle Dean’s birthday. I’s wants to cheer him up with his fav-ite cerul.”

“Sam. A word?”

They walked into the living room down the hall.

“Listen Cas, I know you don’t want me hungover around Mattie but he insisted on helping. And he is. Helping, I mean.”

“That’s not what I’m here to talk about. Listen. I’m not Cas.” 

Sam stiffened and took a step away from Castiel, reaching for a non-existent blade.

“NO, wait, I mean I am Cas. I mean Castiel. I’m from a different time.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s an alternate reality. Well at least I think it is. I don’t know all your life but in my reality this time has already passed; and I didn’t have a son and you and I were not in contact until the very end before I left. I wanted to change some things, so a brother of mine brought me back in time since I’m human now and couldn’t do it myself. Though, I don’t think he brought me back far enough.”

“Um… Wow! I don’t know what to say. Would you like me to catch you up on what’s happened here?

“That would be nice, yes.”

“Man I forgot how weird you talked before.”

Castiel tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you have been on earth so long that you kinda got the hang of things, you usually don’t talk so fancy.  And you eat cereal with Mattie every morning. You confused him earlier when you refused. His name is Matthew. His mom is not in the picture. She was a one night stand of mine six years ago on this day actually. I was still pretty bad back then. She left after giving birth to him and the hospital called to give me a choice to put him up for adoption or to come get him. I was gonna let him get adopted but you refused. You went and picked him up, pretending to be me, and have been raising him since. I work, pay the bills, and babysit occasionally. He has no clue. He thinks you’re his actual father and you are in every way better than I could ever have been.”

“This changes things then. For being here I have made your Cas not exist anymore. Even when I leave I don’t know if your Cas will come back.”

“WHAT?! You killed Cas?”

“I am Castiel.”

“Then you can’t leave. Mattie needs his father and you can’t go killing off every Cas in all the dimensions just to find your time period. I’m sorry but I can’t let you do that.”

“Even to save Dean?”

Sam faltered at that.

“Dean doesn’t need saving, Cas. He’s in heaven. Why can’t you just visit him there?”

This was the moment of truth. Should he tell this Sam what he didn’t tell the other? That Sam had family and the truth would have hurt more than one person. But this Sam didn’t have any family except for the Cas that he had killed and Mattie, and maybe they could save Dean here.

“Actually…”

Before he could decide what to say next, there was a large thump in the kitchen followed by several smaller thumps and a grunt/whimper.

“Mattie you okay?” Sam called out.

“Yeah ‘m fine, Sammy.” The voice was small and you could tell he was trying to sound like he wasn’t in pain when he actually was. They both walked in the kitchen and found the bowl of cereal spilled on the floor and the stool the boy was standing on tipped over, with Mattie a little ways from it where he had fallen. Mattie looked at Castiel and whimpered, ‘’Daddy.” Sam looked at Castiel with a silent ‘Help him!’ 

Castiel hesitantly walked over to the hurt boy and kneeled down. “Little one, what did you do?”

Tears filled his eyes and Castiel quickly wiped them away. “I was trying to cwean up the mess and when I picked the bowl up and twied to get down the stool fell with me stiwl on it.” 

“Are you hurt?” 

He nodded slowly and pointed to his elbow where it was really red. Not knowing what else to do, Castiel carefully picked him up off the ground. Right away Mattie buried his head into his neck and sniffled, “I’m sorry daddy I didn’t mean to make a mess.”

‘’It’s fine, little one. I’ll check your injuries while Sam cleans the mess up.” Sam raised his eye brow but said nothing.

Walking down the hall away from the kitchen, he passed the door to his bedroom and walked in the door,setting Mattie on the bed and prying his hands from his shirt. “Let’s see your elbow, little one.”

Nothing was broken, thankfully, but a nasty bruise would form. Getting some ice from the kitchen, he saw Sam had cleaned the mess and was setting the stool upright.

“Hey. S’ kiddo okay?”

“Yes, it’s just a bruise but hopefully the ice will make it less prominent.”

“Cas?”

“It is Castiel. And yes?”

“What were you going to say earlier about Dean?”

“About seeing him in heaven?”

“Yes.”

“Well, one: I am human now so I can’t go anywhere except on foot and two: Dean isn’t in heaven anyways, Sam.”

“Where is he then?” His voice held a darker tone in it.

“Hell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to upload the beta'd version. Again thanks Too Much Chocolate for the help


	4. nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Too Much Chocolate

“Please! Sto-op!" The tortured soul hiccups.

"What would be the point in that?" The torturer says as he twists his knife into his best friend's shoulder blade. Blood drips from his dark hair where it had splattered upwards.

"AHHHHHYYAHH!!!" He spits blood on the already dirty concrete floor as he screams, "I'll do anything!! Please just stop!"

"You know what I want. Say the word and it'll all stop." The man points his knife at the other shoulder blade and cuts his way down.

An inhuman whine and whimper escapes the soul. The agony was so bad he couldn't get out another scream as his nerve endings were literally snapped in half with the slice down his back.

"Say it and this'll all be over."

"Please, you're not like this. Stop before it's too late!"

Laughing, the man slices a matching gash in the other side of the soul’s back. The cuts formed an upside down V on his back. "It's already too late, Angel. Do you smell that? Where we are. It's where we first met."

The soul gasps and shudders, "No." He waits and realization sets in. "No! Nooooo!"

"Oh yes Angel. We're having so much fun. We'll have even more if you say it." He grabs a jar off a shelf nearby and pours its contents onto the opened gashes. He chants in his native language as his Angel feels the acid like powder transforming him.

"Nooooooo!!!"

"You will become everything we both once hated and we will finally do what my father wanted all along."

"An..and what is that?" He grunts out.

"It's a surprise. I'll be back when you sprout some extra limbs and those gorgeous green eyes turn even prettier."

"WAIT!! Cas pleeeasse!!

But the dark haired angel was already gone.

* * *

 

Sam shot straight up in his bed.

Damn. Another nightmare.

He'd been having them a lot since his best friend had told him two weeks ago that his brother was in hell.

They were terrible terrible visions of his brother being tortured by various members of his loved ones, Castiel being the most repeated torturer.

Unable to sleep any longer, Sam made his way down the stairs. Not noticing the lump in front of Cas' door, once he reached the bottom he tripped over the lump and fell to the ground while hearing someone cry out.

"Son of a bitch!" Sam said.

He turned and saw the lump moving and making whimpers. Crap.

"Mattie that you, kiddo?"

The lump moved the blanket from its head and Mattie looked at him with tear filled eyes.

"Oh God, Mattie I'm so sorry!" He went over and picked the boy up. "What were you doing lying at the bottom of the stairs?"

The boy sniffled before answering quietly, "I had a nightmare and Daddy wouldn't answer the door so I stayed there cause of the monster."

"We've already explained this Matthew. Daddy killed the monster it won’t hurt you anymore."

"Can you get Daddy?"

"Yeah kiddo come on." He carried the boy to the door and opened it with one hand. Sam saw Cas in his bed jerking around in his sleep.

"Daddy!"

Mattie jumped out of his arms and ran to Cas, when he touched Cas's arms he jerked upward and screamed, "DEAN!"

Mattie stumbled back and bumped into Sam's legs. Castiel looked up at them with wide eyes.

"You too?" Sam asks.

"W-what?"

"Nightmares about hell?"

He sighed, "Yeah. What are you doing in here?"

"Mattie has bad dreams and sleeps with you most nights. He was at the bottom of the steps when I came down."

Mattie came out from Sam's legs and went to Cas. He climbed up onto his bed and climbed in Cas' lap. "You 'kay Daddy?"

"Yes, I just had a bad dream like you did."

"About Uncle Dean?"

"Yes."

"What did Uncle Dean do?"

"What was your dream about, Mattie?" He said, deflecting the question.

"Mommy on the ceiling."

Castiel froze and snapped his head up to Sam. Sam's face looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What was mommy doing on the ceiling, little one?"

"Burning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have completely changed what I thought I was going to do with this story. See I thought it was going to be a one shot because I was angry about what happened at the end of season 9. Well nope. So i changed the tags a bit and I'll continue with that as i write.
> 
> I'm willing to have a beta/editor person so if anyone is interested comment below or if you just have idea you'd like to see through or would like to tell me whatcha think so far there's that too.
> 
> The next update might take awhile since tomorrow is the last day of.school for me (exempted all my finals!) And I don't have internet at home....Yeah. we'll see how that goes.
> 
> Anyone excited about the finale tonight? No me neither. I'm a bit terrified since the lot of tumblr thinks Sam will be raising Lucifer again to help Dean or slash dying so yeah. Oh and Jarad Padalecki cried when he read the script. So Godspeed to us all or Chuckspeed or whatever.  
> Fly on,  
> Tessaherondale87


	5. Hellish Dreams

That night Castiel holds Mattie while he sleeps. He was unable to pursue the topic of Matthews mother, for he believes he hasn't been told the entire truth of her absence. After his statement, Mattie had yawned heavily and slumped forward but forced his eyes open till Castiel held him and got in his bed with him.

Which brings Castiel to where he is now, wide awake with swirls of thoughts getting tangled together and ideas mixing together like paint. His nightmares of Dean being a radiant purple of fear with mixes of Orange confusion and Matties out of nowhere yellow confession making his colour coded thoughts into one ugly colour.

His awfully coloured thoughts malform with a veil of blue meaning his thoughts have turned into dreams conjured by his very brutal subconscious mind. His blue veil plays movies of his loved ones burning on ceilings and the fire turn into the hellish inferno his best friend is no doubt facing at the hands of God (or maybe it's just Crowley) only knows who but it is sure as hell isn't Castiel.

* * *

 

_This time Castiel is tied up with Dean._

_Their wrists are hung above their heads and their legs hung free. Dean is looking at Castiel with fear in his eyes with some hesitant hope shining in too. (Because why would his torturer be tied up also?)_

_"Dean."_

_Dean flinches back in his chains and they rattle in the otherwise silent room. "N-no..."_

_"I'm not going to hurt you, Dean." Castiel hopes if he keeps his voice calm and his sentences short he will not scare Dean so easily._

_Dean actually snorts. "Oh yeah, you stupid bastard. I always believed that and look where I am now. What you've done to me on multiple occasions. You may torture me after this but just so you know just because I cared for you at one point your face has no painful affect on me except that I wish that I could tear out your thoat myself."_

_'How long have they been using my face for their sick pleasures?' Castiel thought sadly. "Dean do you really think I would that to you?"_

_"That's the point! I never thought you'd do it to me! I fucking trusted you! And hear I've been in this stupid warehouse for god only know how long and with what you've done to me you deserve anything you get with you being tied up. "_

_"You're not in a warehouse, Dean. You're in..."_

_At that moment the door to the room opened and banged against the wall. A short man walked in pushing a cart filled with metallic sharp objects. ( More than-likely torture weapons.) Dean takes a look at the man and all bravado goes away and he's trembling slightly in his chains._

_The man looks at Dean first and waves, "Oh hey Dean! Don't worry you're not on the list...for now." The man turns to Castiel and he can actually see his face now._

_Castiel gasps. "No. It can't be... you're dead."_

_"That's a no, Cassy."_

_"Gabriel."_

* * *

 

The veil breaks into the sudden clarity of wakefulness after a very agonizing session of damned dreams (literally).

He lays gasping for a moment before he rolls over and looks for Mattie.

He's not there.

"Mattie?....Mattie!"

He runs out of the bedroom and into an unfamiliar hallway.

What?? Where am I?

"You're in hell, bucko."

He turns around and there's Gabriel again.

"What? No, I'm not. I'd be able to sense it. Where am I, Gabriel? If this is one of your "teaching you a lesson" tricks I'm very much not in the mood. How aren't you dead?"

Gabriel winks and snaps his fingers. Castiel lands straight back in his chains in his dream. But this time there is no blue veil.

He's very much awake when the first knife cuts into his skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again this is editted by me so if there are mistakes theyre mine. I'm still looking for a beta so if anyone is willing I'd love that. And someone to teach me the basics of this website cause I still am confused about some stuff.
> 
> Sorry for the wait. There will probably (hopefully) be less of a wait but I don't know when internet will be in my presence again. I've spent the last 12 days marathoning Supernatural seasons 4-10 so I'm all supernaturaled out for awhile but I do my best.
> 
> Review maybe? Comment or whatever...


	6. Chapter 6

It has been hours since the first cut had made itself into Dean's former torturer. He had held out much longer than Dean had. He had cried out within the second hour but Castiel held out for a solid four before he actually screamed. His whimpers and groans had started on the second hour. It was on the sixth hour that Dean realized what Castiel's torturer was doing.

It had been about a month into Dean's stay in the warehouse that Alistair payed him a visit. It was then that Dean realized that Sam had not killed the demon as they all had thought. 

Dean then understood three things when Alistair took his knife and burrowed it into Cas' back and screamed, "Where are they?!?" And Cas stuttered out "Y-you aren't Gabriel." One: Cas was seeing someone different than Dean. Two: The person was looking for Castiel's wings (he had gathered that from the multiple shouts and replied groans from the two individuals.) And third: That in some way they were both doing this to torture Dean also.

He had actually come to this conclusion upon the first hour. Even through all what Cas had done to him Dean still cared for the bastard. No amount of torture would make Dean hate Castiel completely no matter how much bravado he showed him before "Alistair" had entered the room. It was when Castiel started screaming that Dean realized how fucked up he really was. 

Seeing Cas being tortured hurt just as much as Cas doing the torture himself.

He looked up at Cas and saw that he was looking at Dean as well with semi glazed over eyes."I'm s-oorry." He said.

'A little torture isn't going to make me forgive you.' He thinks. 'A little taste of your own medicine.' 

What he actually says is, "Do what you have to do."

Cas blinks at him and huge feathered things shot out of his back. His wings were a very odd color. You could tell that they had once been white but were now very damaged by blackish feathers that were more frequent than the healthy ones.

'Just like his soul.' Dean thought bitterly. These thoughts were interrupted by Gabriel/Alistair when he reached forward eagerly and stuck his long knuckled disgusting hands in his angels wings.

Cas seizes up and thrashes in his chains. Suddenly, Dean felt shooting pains go through the scars on his back. The upside down V one that Cas gave him a very long time ago. Everything else has been healed and rehealed. No scars left. But these he kept. Every time. Dug and recut into. Scraping away at his back, pouring concoctions on it, trying to get results that were beyond Dean's knowledge.

Dean suddenly felt that the excruciating feelings in his back were the results he was looking for.

"No!" He heard Castiel gasp.

Dean saw cuts and gashes appear on his skin blue light flaring out of them. He wiggled around in his chains and realized he could feel them as if the were cut into his own skin. He looks up at the two individuals across from him and Cas is staring at him in awe and is openly sobbing. 

Gabriel/Alistair is still clutching Cas' feathers he moves them to a new spot and Cas jerks again and Dean looks at the Angel 's bare cut up chest and sees the moment when green light starts oozing from the cuts. Dean looks back and forth and the cuts on his chest are in the exact same spots as Cas'.

"What's going on? What is this?" Dean asks Castiel wearily. 

Castiel unable to answer do to his continuous sobs just shook his head and hung it and looked at the floor. "I'm so sorry, Dean." He struggled out.

Gabriel/Alistair takes his cart and leaves the room and Castiel trembled and shakes in his chains.

"C-Cas?"

"I didn't. I really didn't know that abomination would take advantage of that. I didn't even know we had THAT! I'm sorry, Dean"

Dean decides to let aside his differences with his traitorous best friend for now and figures he can get information out of him.

"What'd he do? Who is he?"

"Who'd you see?"

"Why? WHAT is he?"

"I knew something was wrong immediately. You seem to think I've tortured you and He was Gabriel in my eyes but you don't seem to think of him as Gabriel and of course Gabriel would never do that to me and I would rather kill myself then ever do what you think I've done to you. This is worse than I thought. We are in deep shit as you would say Dean. FUCK! GABRIEL! Get your ASS down here!..."

Dean would have let him keep going but he was thoroughly confused and really wanted some clarity before Cas got the bastard back down here. "Woah Cas! Calm down and explain yourself before my brain explodes."

"I didn't torture you, Dean."

"Bullshit. I know what I saw. I know what I FELT!"

"I didn't say what happened it wasn't something that looked like me. I'm saying that me, Castiel the Angel of the Lord that pulled you from hell, your best friend, and the man that is in love with you did not torture you. Something that looks like me did. And I can think of very few things that could have the complexity of looking like more than one thing at a time."

"I don't believe you."

"I know you don't. We'll work on your trust later we need to worry about something else right now."

"And what's that?"

"Getting out of here before he tries and complete what he's doing with us."

"And what is that, Cas? C'mon man, I am seriously up to the moon in confusion."

"He's trying to take advantage of a very private bond that angels do and turn it into something he can use for dark purposes."

"You got that out of him touching your wings?"

"An angels wings have multiple different layers and dimensions that they are seen and used in. They react the way a humans brain would react if touched in certain ways. The reactions are spontaneous and I have no idea what I could do while he decides to experiment with this. The fact that they knew this information greatly reduces possibilities of what we are dealing with."

"What could happen if he does start poking at your wings. Obviously they were affecting me too could it affect other people around the warehouse? What is he?"

All this information was hurting Dean's brain and he really just wanted to sleep and start healing the mysterious wounds that were on him now. He just really wanted the day to be over so he could dream of better days before Cas betrayed him and where he was with Sammy also.

Cas seemed to hesitate before answering Dean this time. "It won't effect people because there are no one around." Cas says to evade answering correctly.

"Don't Bullshit me Cas answer the damn question right. Why aren't there any people?"

"Because we aren't on earth....to my knowledge."

"Where else would we fucking be other than earth?"

Castiel really didn't want to answer the man but knew he needed to know the truth. "Where else have you been deceived and tortured for such a length of time?"

".......No." 

"Dean..."

"Shut the fuck up! You don't get to say that to me! Not you! You got me out! Out! You promised I'd never go back! No! I didn't even die! No I was kidnapped by...by..."

By then Dean was freaking out. Why couldn't he remember? He was kidnapped wasn't he? He doesn't remember death. The last thing he remembers before the warehouse is..... a fight with Sam...Crowley bringing him somewhere to help him... fight someone. Who was it? Abaddon right. He remembers the tracking spell for the First Blade and someone named Cain that Crowley was terrified of. And...What else? What happened with Cain? Did he kill Abaddon? What about the angels and Sam? Oh God! Sam! What did Sam think? How long has it been?

There was all that. But there was also the fact that he was in hell. The place of his worst nightmares.

"It's okay, Dean. I'll tell you everything once we get out of here. And I'll get you out of here I promise you."

"Y-you will?"

"I've done it before haven't I?"

"On someone else's orders not cause you wanted too."

"Well I want to now and I will."

"If you do I might, and that is a heavy might, forgive you for the torture."

"I didn't..."

"Well it sure felt like it, so excuse me for being hesitant to getting my heart broke again."

And that was the end of their conversation. They sat in their chains and waited for an opportunity to break free but took the time to rest and save strength for when they needed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still want a beta so comment to me if your interested. I don't think I've disclaimed supernatural or the characters so there's that I won't do it often.
> 
> Review! For a faster than I expected new chapter. And some Dean and Cas time even if it's not lovely dovey yet.
> 
> Band camp starts soon so I'll probably be a while or faster I don't know when I'll feel like writing?
> 
> Fly on,
> 
> Tessaherondale87
> 
> Or you know
> 
> My name's Kaitlyn XD


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been awhile and its so short. I'm trying.
> 
> This fic is about to get crazy and it'll explain some of the different timeline tags I have. I'll explain it more the next chapter but basically Cas is going to be visiting a lot of other alternative universes to solve a problem and if their is a fanfiction universe you want to see with Dean and Cas then you should tell me and I could write it in. I am contemplating after this fic to write more in the timelines to get a view of those different Cas and Deans PoV.  
> But it'll all make since later.

"Dude what the fuck?" Dean exclaims as the doors open and Gabriel/Alistair comes back through.

Castiel jumps in his chains, startled by the sudden noise, and then groans as the movement jars his wounds.

"Woah slow down there Cassie I know your excited to see me but baby 's got a booboo."

"Shut the fuck up and leave our bond alone. That isn't yours to mess with. "

"Bro, I have no idea what you're talking about but you were sending some pretty big distress signals and I decided to come rescue your sorry ass. From hell mind you. That took a bit more juice then I thought it would." He then moves behind Cas and stiffens for a moment before starting to unravel the chains.

Gabriel. The real Gabriel was alive. And rescuing him and Dean.  
Just to make sure this isn't a scam Castiel asks Dean, "Who do you see?"

Dean stares at them with wide eyes and says, "Gabriel."

'Thank you, Father.' Castiel's shoulders slumped.

The chains are completely taken off by then and he moves away from them and stretches out his arms and his wings twitch with them.

"Damn! That hurts." 

"Here kiddo." Gabriel snaps his fingers and all the wounds disappear off himself and Dean. Cas walks forward to get Dean out of his chains. 

When he gets behind him he sees an upside down V scar with ends curved outwards a little and the tops not touching. "Gabriel!"  
He walks forward to Cas and looks at Dean's back and stiffens beside him. Gabriel mutters "Shit!" under his breathe. 

"It's fine it's fine we'll deal with it later. Let's get out of here." He reaches forward to unlock the chains when Gabriel grabs his hands. 

"What the fuck Gabriel let go!"

"Cassie we can't take him." At that, Castiel yanks his hands out of Gabriel's and walks in front of Dean to finish the job. "Shut up! Gabriel I'm not leaving without him so if you won't help me get out of here leave then."

"Cas, listen. We can't. I'll explain later we have to go before the dude bro comes back."

Gabriel grabs him again and tugs him away again.  
"No!" 

The next moments consisted of yells and screams from Cas and Gabriel with Dean chipping in with Cas. At the end it consisted of:  
"I'm not leaving till I get what I can for!"  
"We'll get him just not right now."  
"NO!" Castiel still had a little angelic strength but that was probably because he was in hell but it had nothing against Gabriel's archangel strength.  
Dean pitched in with, "Let him GO!"  
"Castiel, I will forcefully remove you. We have to go NOW."

Castiel looked up with his arms restrained behind his back and made eye contact with Dean. Eyes filled with sorrow and brimming with tears he hoped Dean wouldn't blame him for this. He would come back for him. He would.

"I'm so sorry." He said. Then his knees buckled and Gabriel had to hold him up. Just as they flew away he heard Dean choke out, "I forgive you. For everything....CAS!"

And then they were parted once more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mattie will be in the next chapter. Yay!


	8. Homeless

1 hour ago

Mattie woke up alone in the dark. 

"Daddy!" ...No answer.

He looks around the black room picturing dark shadows jumping out at him. Screaming, Crying, Burning. Unable to take it any longer he sobs out, "SAM! There's thumping outside the door, running footsteps on the stairs. Mattie whimpers and hides under his blanket. The door creaks open and a shadow looms over Mattie. A short shadow...That's not Sam.

"NO!"

The shadow-- no-- man bends down and as he does, golden brown hair falls in his face, and hands grab him by his small waist and tug him up on their short hip. 

Mattie screams again and then hers a snap of fingers and everything...goes...black.

_________________________  
24 hours ago

"Cas!"

"No! Dean! I can't leave him please!"

"Alright kiddo I didn't have to do this but I'm going to have to."

Two fingers touched his forehead and his mind went blissfully blank.  
____________________

23 hours ago

"Where am I?" Castiel asked. He searched through his head but found a huge gap in his vision from going to asleep with Mattie and now.

"Atlanta." Someone said beside him. He turned his head and saw his brother Gabriel.

"Why?" He asked.

"Why not?" Gabriel countered. 

"I can't stay here." He had made a promise to Sam that'd he wouldn't leave Mattie.

"Again, I say, why not?" 

"My son, Mattie, needs me."

"You make everything so complicated kiddo."  
___________

Present

Castiel woke up in an alley. His back was burning terribly and his head was all kinds of fuzzy. He sat up and looked at his surroundings. It was raining and his jacket was soaked. He needed to find shelter. 

Standing, he started walking towards the end of the alley and looked at the buildings. He looked around and all of them looked the same so he started walking in a random direction. Some time later, he comes upon railroad tracks with abandoned carts laying on the rails with graffiti spray painted over them all. 

He goes to one of the carts and pulls the rusted shut door open enough to climb inside. He looks around with the small amount of light leaking in from the door sees that there's a long abandoned homeless shack set up inside. Dirty sheets piled in the corner for a bed, a lamp sitting beside it with surprisingly half a lamp of kerosene with a good bit of wick left, and a worn paper back of a book called Shatter Me. 

He takes the dirty sheets outside and goes to the rusted bucket that usually holds fires in them but is now filled with rain water. He dumps the sheets in and scrubs them out and lays them out on another cart to dry out.

He then leans against a cart and gets lost in thought. He has no idea what has happened and how he got here. The last thing he remembered was lying down with Mattie and then waking in the alley. Hopefully he and Sam are all right. 

Not knowing what else to do he decides to read some of the paperback left in the cart till the sheets are dried. He had just got to the part where the main character, Juliette, had been betrayed by her cell mate Adam when the sun had set to far for him to see. Castiel then got up to feel the sheets which had dried quickly in the rare sunny fall day.

Piling into the cart and laying out the sheets into a makeshift bed the confused but exhausted ex-angel layed his head on his borrowed sheets and fell into a deep but nightmare filled sleep. The last thing he remembers before succumbing is the memory of his green eyed lover.

______

Castiel woke up to his cart door opening. He jolted to a standing position and he grabbed the angel blade he had stowed in his jacket. He saw that it was Gabriel, a brother he thought to be slated by Lucifer' s hand a long time ago, holding a sobbing Mattie.

"Gabriel whaat?"

"Not now! Take this thing!" He then thrusts Mattie into his arms and then flies off.

Mattie then digs his head into Castiel's shoulder and sobs. "Sssh. It's okay Mattie your safe now. It's okay." He then proceeds to hold the crying child while he tries to come to terms that he's not being kidnapped. Once he has settled down, the sky is high in the sky and Castiel's stomach is cramping in hunger. Luckily, he still has Jimmy Novaks wallet with one of the Winchesters stolen credit cards. All he has to do is find a restaurant or store and hope the card works in this universe. 

Setting Mattie on his hip and making a makeshift pack from one of the sheets he sets his novel, trench coat, and angel blade in the sheet and ties it to his back and sets off back in the alleys where he first woke up. 

Soon, he walks up to a series of buildings one being a convenience store. He quickly looks through the reflection to make sure he looks presentable enough for human sights. He's a bit dusty but it'll have to do for now. Castiel then walks into the store and asks Mattie what he'd like to eat. 

"Cookies."

Castiel chuckles at the child, "You can have some of those with your meal. What else would like?"

The child looks around the store and contemplates. "Hot dog."

Castiel goes to the revolving lamp heated weiners and puts 3 on buns with condiments. He then goes to put them on the counter to purchase them along with a six pack of water bottles and granola bars and of course some chocolate chip cookies. Thankfully, the purchase goes through and they leave with no complications.

Across the street from the store is a red bench that has some shade. He goes and sets himself and Mattie down and they eat their food quickly. Mattie taps Castiel on the arm and offers him a cookie. He then thanks him and eats it.

Trying to figure out a plan in this unknown world is harder than it looks. Without knowing anything about this world and not having a phone or car while being human, Castiel has no idea where to go. He doesn't have just him to care for anymore. He has his son. Well, he's not his biologically, if he were going off that then he'd be more like a nephew since he is Sam Winchester' s son technically. But he's not and this child who clearly in his universe looked up to Castiel for all his caring will now forever be a fixture that Castiel cannot just shake off. 

Suddenly, a bus pulls up to the bench and opens its doors with a whoosh of air. Not knowing what else to do, Castiel gathers their things and tugs Mattie onto the bus. The driver stops him and tells Castiel the admission fee for 2. Luckily he'd gotten some change from the store he'd just left and had enough for the both of them to enter the bus. 

Claiming a seat for them both, seeing how the bus was mostly empty since it was a long distance one, Castiel settles with Mattie sitting at the window. Looking up at the destination screen, he sees that the bus is headed for Gainesville, Georgia. Good enough for him. Sliding down to get comfortable for the long ride, he pulls out his book Shatter Me and waits for something anything to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for it taking so long. The chapter just wouldn't come to me. Anybody watch Season 11 episode 1 last night? I haven't, but I'm about to do it as soon as I post this though. So I'm gonna go do that.
> 
> Mwah,  
> Tessaherondale87


	9. Changlings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely am not going to do a lot of these because honestly I can't stand them sometimes, but there is a semi-case in this chapter. It was only put here to start the plot.

“Where’s Sam?” Mattie asks Castiel as they sent in a little diner on the town square. They had been the last ones on the bus and the driver had eventually stopped here and told Castiel he could get back on in the morning free of charge.

“I don’t know, Little One.” He answered wearingly.

“Are we ever gonna see him again?” 

Frustrated because he didn’t want to admit his ignorance to the seven year old again Castiel snaps, “Mathew please be quiet. I’m trying to think.”

Mattie shrivels up in his seat and turns his head to look out the window of the diner. 

Sighing, Castiel looks away and tells Mattie to finish his food so they can move on. Once done Castiel pays with his card and they walk outside of the diner. He takes a newspaper out of the plastic container in front of the store and he opens it up to look at where they are and what the date is. 

It was January 26th and they were in a small town called Cleveland in the state of Georgia still. He was only in hell for that one night surprisingly. Not knowing what else to do he looks through the rest of the newspaper. He sees the obituary for the week and to his ultimate discomfort there was a large amount of people dead that week. Right above the obituary the headline of the page said 5 Children Gone Missing: Is Yours Next? 

Panicking, he whirls and looks for Mattie. He was still ignoring Castiel and was sucking his thumb, but was nevertheless safe. “Don’t scare me like that.” Castiel says, relieved. 

A woman, who had been leaving the diner behind him, before Castiel’s small outburst, saw the entire thing and noticed the paper in Castiel’s. Knowing that was the reason for his panic, she walks over to the two of them. “Hold him tight tonight,” she said, looking as if she were going to start crying. “You never know when it’ll be your last.” She turns like she was going to leave.

“Wait!” Castiel cried. He brings the paper up and points to it. “Was one of them yours?” He asks sadly.

“No. My niece went missing last year. We moved here for a fresh start and now this is happening. Just promise me you will leave this place. It’s not safe. Please.” The woman’s black hair starts to blow in the wind and unknowingly to the pair there were small ears listening to their conversation. 

“NO!” Mattie screams. He was starting to tear up and Castiel had no idea why. Kneeling down beside him, Castiel opened his mouth to ask what the matter was when he had a bundle of brown hair in his mouth and small legs wrapping around his waist. “Please. I don’t wanna be taken. I’ll be good!” He cries out.

“Of course you won’t. I would never let that happen. Promise.” He whispers to the boy. The woman from earlier smiles at him apologetically and actually leaves that time.

“You promised that befoe and that mean man took me from our home and Sammy.”

“Gabriel came and got you because I asked Mattie.”

“Why? Why can’t we go back home? That lady said it wasn’t safe here. Home is safe.”

Not wanting to worry the child more but unable to lie any longer Castiel tells the truth. “I don’t know where home is Matthew. I don’t even know if Gabriel brought us to the right dimension or anything really. What am I doing? Saying this to a 7 year old uugh.” He ended his sentence to talking to himself in hopes the child in his arms wouldn’t hear him, but alas nothing goes as planned.

“I’m not seven!” Mattie cries.

“Oh? You aren’t?” He asks. 

“No! I’m this many!” He hold up three fingers on one hand and two fingers on the other. 

“You are five?”

“Yes!”

Castiel didn’t want to reveal the child’s actual parental origins to the four year old so he just thinks to himself that Mattie definitely got Sam’s genes for being so big. If it weren’t for the still baby-like clinginess that Mattie still possessed he could definitely pass as an elementary school student. Even if he’d be small compared to that age but as a four year he was rather large, like his biological father. Not wanting to waste any more time standing in front of a diner, Castiel decided he needed to stay in town to see what was happening with the missing children. It could be a possible case and the children needed help. With that decision in mind he refolds the newspaper neatly then grabs Mattie’s hand and goes back into the diner to tell the driver of the bus they had ridden into town that they would not be joining him the following morning.

“Alright, if you say so. If you need a place to stay there’s a Days Inn not even a mile down the road I saw when we were pulling in.” The grisly man answers.

Having seen the same thing earlier, Castiel thanks the man and starts to walk; still holding Mattie’s hand. The driver was right it had barely taken 10 minutes to get there and most of that time had been because of Castiel’s fear of crossing the street in traffic with Mattie. Walking into the motel’s lobby, Castiel quickly buys a room with one queen size bed in it figuring Mattie would be too scared to sleep by himself. He didn’t like the look he was getting from the guy manning the desk, so he left as quickly as possible. 

Once he got to their room he decided to give Mattie a bath and he did so. By the time he got in the bath Mattie had gotten over his fear and had also forgiven Castiel for snapping at him earlier and was begging him to turn the jets on that the tub had. Castiel stands and flips the switch to the jets and hears them turn on with a hum and he sees the water start bubbling from the rapidly moving water. Castiel walks into the bedroom still able to hear Mattie’s giggles from there. 

That night he holds Mattie tightly just like he had silently promised the woman he would.   
~~  
The next morning Castiel wakes up to be highly uncomfortable. There’s a sharp pain in his neck above his shoulder blades and when he turns over in the bed he finds Mattie sitting up and staring at him funny.

“Mattie. What’s wrong?”

“Play with me, daddy.”

Castiel shoots forward to sit up. “…You aren’t my son.”

The thing looks at him with a hurt expression on his face and tears well in his eyes. “What do you mean?” 

He stumbles out of the hotel room bed and backs away. ”Where is my son? What have you done with him!?” 

The thing blankly stares at him and says in a monotone voice (well as monotone as a fiver year olds vocal cords can get), “I thought I could have more fun with you before this happened. Oh well.” It strikes him fast and before he can blink Castiel is unconscious.

~~

Castiel wakes up to the snap, crackle, pop of fire. And he’s in a cage. Neither are things he wanted to experience at the moment. Or ever. He sits up slowly conscious of the roof of the dog crate he was in. Looking around the room, he sees that he is in someone’s basement. 

Surprise there.

Not.

But what is surprising is the fact that there was another cage (much bigger than his) with 6 children in it and standing in front of both cages was a man with his back turned and he was holding a flame thrower. A flame thrower that was currently being put to use. From the angle he was in he could see to the side of the man to see what he was pointing the fire at.

It was his son.

Or the thing that looked like his son. 

He had to be sure though, “NO,” he screamed, “Mattie!” 

The man turned toward Castiel. And to Castiel’s shock he knew the man. He had known him very intimately once before.

“Dean?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. It took awhile to get this one out of me because I didn't know where I wanted to go with it.


	10. Traumatized children all around

Chapter 10

“How do you know my name?” Dean asks. Castiel is shocked beyond belief. He didn’t know what to think. He just knew that this couldn’t be Dean. Dean was still captured in the other universe.

“Let me out right now!” Castiel screams. He knew that this creature had just scorched the earth where his son lay and that it was absolutely not Dean. 

Mad about being told what to do, the creature, with Dean’s signature pissed off look, went to unlock the cage. Castiel ran forward to the charred remains, but was stopped by the sight of the other cage in the room with the other children. Curled up in a ball in the back of the cage was Mattie.

Almost crying in relief, Castiel went and unlocked the cage. The other children all backed away from him in fright. Castiel walked forward and pressed his hand on Mattie’s back to get his attention. Mattie tensed his muscles and let out a high pitched cry. In the background Castiel heard Dean protest his action. 

“Ssh. Mattie it’s me, it’s Daddy,” Castiel reassured the still screaming child. “Come here.” Mattie then immediately stopped screaming and fell forward into Castiel’s arms. Castiel then crawled out of the cage with Mattie clutched in his arms and he slowly backed away from Dean. 

“I don’t know what a shapeshifter is doing killing a changling, or why it is wearing Dean Winchester’s face,” Castiel said to the creature. It had been taking the other children out of the cage. “but you stay the fuck away from me and my son.” 

Castiel then ran out of the changling’s basement, and hoped the shifter wouldn’t follow him. 

It didn’t.

The sun was shining when he ran out the door. Its bright beams shone in the afternoon air and at this moment in time it was reflected off a shiny black surface. A 1967 Chevy Impala sat in the road in front of the changling’s house, and in it sat a snoozing Sam Winchester.

Realizing this was a bigger problem than he thought, Castiel ran back into the house and into the kitchen. He sat Mattie on the counter and searched through the counters, but also keeping an ear out for Dean and the children. He checked the label of the knife in the drawer and saw that it was made out of silver. He hoped it wasn’t fake because he had no more time. He could hear thuds on the stairs coming up from the basement and he needed to hurry and take the Sam shapeshifter out before the Dean one came outside.

Castiel ran outside and went to the bushes to sit Mattie behind them, away from view. “I want you to stay here no matter what happens, okay?” He tells Mattie.   
Mattie looks scared but nods anyway.

Castiel walks toward the Impala’s open window where “Sam” resides and pulls the stolen silver knife out. He thrusts it forward and cuts a slice through “Sam’s” jacket and slashes his forearm. He watches the cut start to be bleed, but not steam or sizzle as a shapeshifter’s arm would do if cut with a true silver knife.

Naturally, the cut wakes the not-so-shapeshifter Sam and he jerks forward while simultaneously reaching for his gun. Castiel jerks back and brings his hands up which shows the knife that had just cut Whatever the thing was. 

“Who are you?” It asks.

“I think the better question is, what are You,” Castiel says, “You’re the one walking around looking like you’re Sam Winchester while you’re friend in the house is acting like he’s Dean.”

It looks highly surprised and even more confused. 

“How do you know our names?” It finally says. It is still holding the gun. Even though it’s not cocked, it is still pointing the gun in Castiel’s direction with a finger on the trigger.

“Because they aren’t your real name's,” Castiel says, “Now tell me what you are! You aren’t a shapshifter the knife didn’t burn you. To be an angel you’d have to be an archangel to change shape and the only I know who would do that is Gabriel, and I know he’s…Fuck!” Realising it’s another one of Gabriel’s tricks, Castiel turns to walk away.

He hears the gun being cocked, but he keeps walking. “You aren’t going to shoot me, Gabriel. I know you.”

“I don’t know who the fuck Gabriel is, or what you’re talking about angels for, but you better stop walking right now before you’re chest is full of holes.” It says.

Castiel turns. He’s right beside the bush where he see’s Mattie staring at him with wide eyes. Right as he’s about to answer the Trickster the front door opens and “Dean” walks through. This obviously startles Sam into action because the guns goes off and heat and pain pierces through Castiel’s right shoulder. He hears “Dean” and Mattie scream. He clutches his shoulder with his left hand and gasps. 

He looks up at what can’t be Gabriel because he knows Gabriel would never go that far. Especially not in front of Mattie. “Dean” beats him into cussing Sam out.

“What the fuck Sam?! Shooting a civilian in front of his son? WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT’D BE A GOOD IDEA?” Dean screams. Castiel is starting to think that either these things are really good actors or he’s not in the universe he thinks he is. 

Sam looks back and forth between Dean and Castiel, who is still clutching his shoulder, but is now crouching down in front of Mattie to keep him out of view of the trigger happy Sam. 

“I… I didn’t know he had a kid. He was hiding in the bushes! This dude just came out of nowhere and was stabbing me in the arm with a kitchen knife. And he was talking about angels and he knew our names! What else was I supposed to do when he turns his back on me?” Sam says, defending himself.

“How about NOT shooting him Sam!”

Sam looks as if to argue again. But Castiel was sick of their shit and his arm was hurting like a son-of-a-bitch. “BOTH of you shut the fuck up. I’ve just been shot and my son is screaming his head off!” They both look properly chastised, especially Sam. He actually looked if he was sorry for shooting him.

 

Dean takes control of the situation again by actually being productive. “Ok, why don’t we call the cops to come pick up the traumatised children in the living room, and then we can go back to our hotel where I can patch you up, and you can calm your son down, and you can tell us how you know our names. Sound like a plan?” 

Sam protests this by saying, “We still don’t know if he’s a monster, Dean!” 

“I think getting shot by a silver bullet and surviving narrows most of it down.” 

“He could be the changling.”

“Negative. I just torched it and it had changed to look like his son.”

“Whatever Dean.” Sam marches back to the Impala.

Dean grabs a flask out of his pocket and flicks it towards Castiel and Mattie. “Sorry but you can never be too careful. You obviously know about changlings and shapeshifters, so I’m sure you know how it is.”

“No offense taken. Please let's just leave.” Castiel picks up Mattie and goes to the Impala. Sam gets out and pulls the front seat forward so Castiel can climb into the backseat. 

Dean is already on the phone as he gets in the driver’s seat. “Oh, who am I?...” He hangs up and throws the phone out the window, starts the car, and drives away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That didn't take as long as usual! 
> 
> Poor Mattie he's gonna need so much therapy.
> 
> I'm still looking for a beta, so if you're interested comment on this fic and I'll reply back.
> 
> Seaon 11 finale tonight! looking forward to it but not really cuz I know i'm gonna cry...

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Too Much Chocolate. Thanks so much!


End file.
